Imaging non-collinear antiferromagnetic textures via single spin relaxometry

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-20995-x
• Publication Date: 2021-02-03T11:32:46Z
• Authors: Aurore Finco; Angela Haykal; Rana Tanos; Florentin Fabre; Saddem Chouaieb; Waseem Akhtar; Isabelle Robert-P...; William Legrand; Fernando Ajejas; Karim Bouzehouane; Nicolas Reyren; Thibaut Devolder; Jean-Paul Adam; Joo-Von Kim; Vincent Cros; Vincent Jacques
• Keywords: Magnonics; Skyrmion

Antiferromagnetic materials are promising platforms for next-generation spintronics owing to their fast dynamics and high robustness against parasitic magnetic fields. However, nanoscale imaging of the order in such with zero net magnetization remains a major experimental challenge. Here we show that non-collinear antiferromagnetic spin textures can be imaged by probing noise they locally produce via thermal populations magnons. To this end, perform nanoscale, all-optical relaxometry scanning quantum sensor based on single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) defect diamond. Magnetic is detected through an increase relaxation rate NV defect, which results overall reduction its photoluminescence signal under continuous laser illumination. As proof-of-concept, efficiency method demonstrated various synthetic antiferromagnets, including domain walls, spirals skyrmions. This procedure could extended large class intrinsic antiferromagnets opens up new opportunities studying physics localized wave modes magnonics.